Duty
by floofyMiko
Summary: A chronological series of drabbles and one-shots as Lin and Tenzin grow individually, then together, then apart. Originally conceived for Linzin Week 2012. Now with romance!
1. at the dawn

_**duty  
**-pt 1 at the dawn-_

_.-.-.  
_

The young mother releases her son's hands. He wobbles, he falls heavily onto his plump bottom, blue eyes filling with tears as he looks up at a pair so similar to his own. The child's lower lip quivers tellingly, but before he can make a sound the patient woman pulls him once again to his feet, her touch all at once warm and reassuring and firm. Loops of hair swing forward as she leans down, kissing the top of the boy's bare head, muttering soft words of encouragement.

She keeps at her duty, lifting him from the floor as needed with steady arms, and later, with just the sound of her voice.

He keeps at his duty, standing up, taking step after step until the wobbling ceases and his chubby legs become accustomed to this new motion, and within weeks there's no one on the island who can stop him from moving.

.

Miles away a little girl is born with wavy charcoal hair and alabaster skin. Her cries are loud, strong, echoing in the modest home. Yet the only ones around to hear are the midwife who helped to deliver her and her exhausted mother. Her mother, proud and private, who avoided her prodding, well-meaning friends for months as soon as her belly began to swell, who metalbent her police uniform around her in such a manner that disguised her ballooning form, who never missed a day of work up until the moment her contractions could no longer be ignored. If any of her officers noticed and wondered, they had not dared to ask.

"Your first duty as mother," directs the elderly midwife, "is to name your new baby. What shall the world call her?"

"Lin," she replies instantly, her arms wrapped securely around the soft, tiny child, its cheek pressed against her unbound breast. Her voice is thick with emotion. "Lin Beifong." The name sounds like silver; it is simple, it is strong, it is vibrant.

"It is beautiful," says the woman, approving. "Just like your daughter."

She does not acknowledge this, her attention fixated instead on the foreign sounds coming from the child. Mewling, instinctive suckling punctuated by sharp screams. Is she hungry? That can't be it; she is already nursing. Is she uncomfortable? Arms shift; blankets are adjusted, tucked, untucked, and retucked. Is she screaming just because she can? Because it is the only way such a small, helpless being can make her mark on the world? Because drawing the attention of others to herself is the only way the newborn can ensure her own survival?

"Don't worry, kiddo," she mutters. "I've got you."

The midwife gestures towards the bundle, a gentle hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "I can take her, if you'd like. Calm her down."

The mother responds with a quiet "no." She can barely even hear herself over her daughter's freshest wave of cries. Under normal circumstances, thanks to her hypersensitive hearing, she would have long ago removed the source of such raucous, head-splitting noise.

But this is her daughter, and only hers. Such a tiny thing, with so much vitality. Lin's cries mean life. Life that should not even have been, but now is.

Toph finds it thrilling.

* * *

_next: discovery_


	2. discovery

**_duty_**  
_-pt 2 discovery-_

_.-.-._

Children's laughter is a familiar sound in the Avatar's household. Aang's three young ones, the pride and joy of his life, are the cause of that. There is Kya, the eldest and only daughter, who inherited her mother's looks and waterbending and sense of level-headed responsibility; she has her father's personality, however, carefree and nature-loving with one major twist: a noticeable mischievous streak. Then there is Bumi, their first son, whom everyone unanimously agrees seems nothing like his parents and so, by default, takes after his Uncle Sokka; although young, he has already embraced a non-bender identity with chest-puffing pride, a wild and boisterous boy absolutely _fascinated _by weaponry. Finally, there is Tenzin, the youngest, the baby (for now), and his siblings never let him forget it; the gentle, mild-mannered boy who started learning to read and write last year at the age of four often finds himself dragged into games of chase or mock-bending battles when he would much rather be by his father's side, listening to stories and legends from times long past.

A lazy summer's afternoon sends the three siblings outside for some unstructured leisure time. This, inevitably, turns into some friendly family roughhousing.

The girl stands at the ready, a breezy smile on her lips, two buckets of water at her feet. Katara had recently taught her a new waterbending move and she's eager to practice on her younger brothers. She weaves her arms slowly about, drawing up twin trails of water, obedient to the deliberate guidance of her hands.

"You scared?" She can barely contain her teasing giggle. "You'll never be able to beat me, Zuko!"

Bumi, playing the role of said firebender, bristles at his sister's words. "That's _Fire Lord _Zuko to you, Katara! Raah!" he roars, laughing wildly as he punches twice into the air. "Fwoosh fwoosh! Watch out, sis—I mean, Katara! My fire's coming at ya!"

She jumps to the side, dodging imaginary flames, and lands with a knee to the ground. "Ha! Take that!" Smirking, she swings her arms forward and sends a jet of water straight into her brother's stomach. The boy yelps as the cold element makes contact with his skin and knocks him onto his bottom, the front of his shirt now soaked.

"Oops, sorry, _Zuko_," Kya titters, drawing the water back into their containers as she approaches her fallen opponent. She smiles placidly and reaches out a hand to pull Bumi to his feet. "I guess I really _am _too strong for you?"

"No way!" Bumi scowls in response, sticking out his tongue. He ignores her hand and leaps to his feet, landing in a feral crouch. "It's just 'cause you're really a waterbender... cheater!"

"I am _not _a cheater," she says airily. "I'm just older. Oh, and _better _than you."

"Yeah, we'll see about _that_!" Bumi cries. "I'm gonna get my _Dao swords _and beat you, peasant, you just wait." He rushes over to the stone steps where the youngest boy sits, quietly observing his older siblings. "Hey, Tenzin. Gimme my swords!"

The child blinks and dutifully passes a pair of branches to his eager brother.

"Behold! I am now the Blue Spirit," announces Bumi, running back to his sister, recklessly brandishing his new 'weapons'. "Waahoooo!"

"Wait, time out. Tenzin, don't you wanna play with us?" Kya calls over.

"No, that's okay," he replies simply.

"But you can be dad! C'mon, you know whenever mom and Uncle Zuko fought, dad would always have her back."

"And you'll be the _Avatar_," adds Bumi, still swinging his swords about. "But you can only airbend, okay?"

Tenzin tries to protest. "I don't know how—"

"Sooo? Bumi's not a firebender and that doesn't stop him," Kya retorts, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, it's just pretend!" She smiles encouragingly at her baby brother. "_It'll be fun._"

As always Tenzin goes along with it. "Well... okay..."

"Yay!" Bumi whoops, jumping into the air. "Enough talking. Let's spar!"

And that they do. Children's laughter, resounding in the open courtyard.

Running, chasing.

Another water whip from Kya, and this time Bumi evades successfully, escaping with nothing more than a sprinkle of droplets in his disheveled hair. He cackles in triumph, meant to taunt and goad as siblings in friendly rivalry are wont to do. She gladly rises to the bait, tendrils of her gentle, life-giving element turned playfully vengeful, twisting and churning in pursuit of the rowdy little 'fire lord'. The boy's makeshift swords spin and spin. Tenzin eyes them warily, careful to steer clear of his brother's careless flailing. His halfhearted attempt to join the fray as an in-character participant fails, as usual. That little wave of his hand bends less air than a sigh.

But now Bumi is actively chasing _him_, and he must go on the defensive and run.

He runs. He darts side to side and dodges the older boy's wild swings. A bubble of laughter finally erupts from his lips. He's smaller than the other two, and rather well practiced in the art of escape. Bumi looks away, temporarily distracted by a friendly splash of water to the face, compliments of their sister, and Tenzin takes this chance to slip away from the action. He's at the edge of a short precipice; below him is a sandy patch of beach and a small pier. A single boat moored there bobs gently in the rippling blue, which sparkles brightly as it catches the light. Tenzin looks up, momentarily distracted by the view across Yue Bay. He raises a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding afternoon sun making its slow descent towards the horizon.

Uh oh, crazy big brother is approaching; break's over. Tenzin doesn't trust that grin on his face. He turns and tenses up, ready to bolt in the opposite direction.

"C'mon, Avatar, don't run awaaay! Fight me!"

_Wait!_

Bumi barrels into him, reaching for his head, no doubt meaning to administer an uncomfortable noogie.

Kya's water whip reaches its target yet another time, and even Tenzin can feel the force of this one. She is improving.

Bumi releases him and begins to run back towards Kya, promising swift retribution, though the threat is somewhat tempered by his boyish snicker.

And then Tenzin feels the back of his foot slip.

Teetering on the edge of the cliff. Hands windmilling. Kya's eyes widening in horror as she realizes what she's done; she's leaping forward, reaching out for him but she's still too far away definitely too far away.

A desperate kick into empty space, a frightened exhale of breath; away from the water, away from the sky, back towards earth, back towards his family.

He closes his eyes; he doesn't want to see the ground rushing up to meet him.

But instead of falling, instead of blackness, he opens his eyes in the arms of his older sister.

Footsteps receding in a hasty retreat. Bumi, bellowing at the top of his lungs.

"_Mom! Get out here NOW! It's Tenzin!"_

Face buried into his sister's sleeve. Gentle hands stroking his back. The repetitive motion is helping him to calm down. He's not sure what's happened. He fights back tears. All he knows is he's not a baby anymore; he won't cry.

He doesn't look up until he hears his mother's unmistakable voice, thick with worry. "Tenzin? Are you all right, sweetie? What's this?" She gathers him into her arms, and as Kya soberly tells her what had just happened, what _nearly _happened, Katara's embrace tightens almost to the point of pain. Tears begin their earnest cascade down her bronzed cheeks, and then he _really _doesn't know what's going on because mothers certainly aren't supposed to cry. So he says nothing, and she cries.

"Mom."

It's Bumi. His tone is uncharacteristically quiet. Serious. Even solemn. The three of them look up at the wild little boy with damp hair, clothes in disarray, toy swords abandoned at his feet. The awestruck look in his dark eyes is unmistakable.

"I saw it," he says, "Tenzin saved himself.

"He's an airbender."

_An airbender._

_Aang, it's true. Our son. You are no longer the last of your people._

.

Across the bay a little girl runs through the freshly painted halls of the new police station, careening around corners, ducking under the legs of startled employees and citizens alike; she sees the way they stare, notices how they whisper, but it all means nothing to her.

_That's her! The chief's daughter, born out of wedlock, I hear..._

_Really? Not that I'm criticizing the chief and her capabilities, but raising a child alone? What a task... not to mention how _very _improper..._

_Poor thing, growing up without a real father..._

At the edge of her peripheral vision she spots a tall, familiar figure clad in the traditional blues of his tribe. He is engaged in conversation with another important-looking man, but that's no deterrent for the energetic four-year-old who is past the age of stranger anxiety and not quite at the age of comprehending social etiquette. She launches herself at him without abandon, hollering at the top of her lungs.

"Uncle Sokka!"

(The other man takes a step back. Once again, that look of surprise, those wide, uncomfortable, judgemental eyes.)

As always, strong arms catch her; as always, a warm smile greets her. "Linny! And how is my favorite little girl doing?"

She laughs and dodges his enthusiastic attempt at a kiss, pushing his face to the side which distorts his exaggerated pucker; the effect is comical and sends her into a fresh wave of giggles. "What about Kya?" she questions playfully, their repartee a well-established routine. Familiar sandpaper stubble tickles and prickles against her soft, tiny hands.

"Ah, Lin, how you wound me!" Sokka pouts, feigning hurt. He adjusts the girl in his arms as he sighs dramatically, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. "Kya is my favorite big girl, but you're my favorite little girl. It seems I'm destined to be rejected by Beifongs. Why, universe, _why_?"

(The other man's eyes are now bugging out of his head. He quickly excuses himself and scurries away, taking leave of the councilman and his... niece? Or whatever she is.)

The girl doesn't notice, of course. She grins at Sokka's absurdity without fully grasping his words, directing him instead to take her outside to the open courtyard. Sokka obeys. As he walks, Lin catches the eye of several curious passerby from her perch on the man's shoulder. She smiles. She waves. She has no reason not to.

They don't return it.

"Hey Uncle Sokka," she says suddenly, cocking her head to the side, leaning into the crook of his neck.

"Yes, Lin?"

The wide, floor length windows on their right face west, into the setting sun. Sokka slows his walk so the pair can enjoy the view of the streets from the third story, a world bathed in warm, sleepy orange. Pale green eyes turn away from the sight, instead peering curiously into deep blue ones.

"Why don't I have a daddy?"

He stops walking. "Why do you ask?"

"Why don't I have a daddy?" she repeats, insistent.

How many years have passed? How many others have wondered? How many times have he and Toph discussed (argued?) this very thing?

_(It's your duty to tell her...)_

_Can you believe these people? They don't know _anything _about us, but they think they can tell me how to raise my daughter. I oughta kick 'em clear across the ocean and send 'em on a crash course straight for Sparky's doorstep!_

_(She has a right to know...)_

_Don't play dumb with me, Snoozles. You know as well as I do that that good-for-nothing, yellow-bellied hogmonkey who impregnated me doesn't deserve to be called a father. Therefore she _has _no father. She's got me. And I love her more than enough to make up for_—_for _everything.

_(I know. You're a great mother.)_

And so, his answer is instantaneous. "You don't have a daddy because your mom, the greatest earthbender in the world, wished really, _really _hard for a daughter—and then, POOF!—earthbended little baby you right out of the ground!"

The girl furrows her brows for a moment, considering this.

_Her shoulders slump, her bangs fall forward, obscuring her eyes._

_Thanks, Sokka._

And then the moment is over, broken by the child's melodic laughter. She hugs him, then raises her arms victoriously. "My mommy's the greatest earthbender in the WORLD!"

Sokka chuckles, returning the hug. "You've got that right."

Looking back, Lin never remembers feeling like an accident. She only remembers being happy.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I fail at headcanoning. And oops, I sorta kinda Tokka'd?

_next: achievement_


	3. achievement

_**duty  
**-pt 3 achievement-_

.-.-.

He can practically feel the force of her gaze on his back. A quick peek over his shoulder confirms his suspicions: she's still staring at him expectantly. He frowns.

"Stop looking at me like that. Can't concentrate."

The girl rolls her eyes, trying to blow the messy tangle of waves out of her face to no avail. Instead she smooths it back with her fingers. "I'm not looking at you like _anything_," she sighs, wincing when she catches a particularly stubborn snag. Freeing her hands from her hair she topples onto her back, displacing a small cloud of dust. "I'm just bored," she tells the expanse of sky above her.

"Can't you go be bored somewhere else?" He settles into lotus position and takes a deep breath, pressing the tips of his thumbs together at his navel, fingers resting gently in his lap, trying to focus on the flow of chi pooling in the center of his abdomen. Time to run through the exercises again. He exhales, his breath mingling with the air around him as he begins to draw his hands upwards and outwards, a caress of wind swirling at his command. He mustn't think of his annoyingly unwelcome spectator.

A pebble hits him squarely in the forehead.

He drops his hands. "Lin, please."

"Lin, please _play with me,_" she corrects, mimicking him in a high-pitched voice. She sits up and smirks. "Okay, Tenzin! Since you asked _sooo _nicely."

The young airbender groans and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Why are you here, Lin? I'm busy. Aren't you supposed to be bothering Kya or something?"

"No can do. Kya is out. On a _date_." She pauses for what Tenzin thinks is dramatic effect. He simply raises an eyebrow at her and the rest spills out in a rush.

"With a _boy. _An _earthbender _boy. They're going to have dinner at a nice restaurant then take a ride through Central Park and then I don't know, I stopped listening after that. But it's pretty nice, huh?" She grins.

No, he doesn't think it's pretty nice. He doesn't think it's nice at all. It's _gross_. His big sister, already dating _boys_? And dating... means boyfriend and girlfriend... means _kissing_—

A shudder runs down his spine.

Lin catches it and nods eagerly in agreement. "Oh, I know, right? He thinks he's all that but she's _way _too good for him. Even _I'm _better at earthbending than he is, and he's old. Like, sixteen or something."

Misunderstood agreement, it seems. He shoots her a wary look. "I'll take your word for it." _Man, are girls weird._

She hums a bit, content, then gets up to sit next to him, nudging him solidly in the shoulder. "So. Wanna spar?"

"No, not really."

"Why _not?_" Oh, she's pouting. It's strange; almost on reflex, Tenzin looks away.

"I was trying to run through my elementary forms," he explains evenly. "Dad says the best way to improve as airbenders is to deepen our connection with the spiritual energy of the Earth. I need to work on refining that connection, and doing basic exercises is good practice."

The girl grumbles beside him. "_Sparring _is good practice."

"Not today, Lin. Sorry," he shrugs.

Out of the corner of his eye he can see she's frowning. He tries to look more sorry, but it turns into a look of surprise when she suddenly stands, a furrow in her brow, her mouth hardened into a thin line.

She reaches down, brushing dirt off her loose pants. "Avatar Aang taught me that air is the element of freedom," she begins almost reverently. Tenzin nods in confirmation, and she continues.

"The Air Nomads are a people of peace." He nods again.

"Furthermore, all your techniques focus on defense and evasion." Correct again. _What is she getting at? Trying to prove that she knows other bending disciplines? Or that she's smart? Why did she use the word 'furthermore'?_

"Okay, then. Evade _this_!"

_Spirits, there's a _boulder _in his _face_._

.

Exactly six minutes later, she's earned it. She gloats because she can. She even fashions a cylindrical platform upon which to gloat, perched proudly atop her element, high above her fallen opponent.

Several feet below her lies Tenzin, beaten, the _loser, _flat on his back, a healthy coating of earth on his clothes and every inch of exposed skin—shackled to the ground with his wrists and ankles restrained by rock cuffs, courtesy of the _winner _(that would be her). She's left him a little wiggle room, hoping he'd struggle to break free and subsequently fail, which would have been brilliantly amusing and the true icing on her cake of victory. But he doesn't budge an inch. Instead, he sighs; it sounds awfully melancholic and she wants to drop another rock on his silly sissy face but she doesn't.

"Well, Tenzin," she says smugly, gazing down at the upside-down face of her closest friend, "I won. Again."

He nods once, his eyes closed. "Mm. Yes you did."

"Why did I win? Again?"

"Because you're a great earthbender," he recites dutifully.

"And what are you going to do about that?"

"I will practice more so I can catch up," he declares, one hundred percent serious.

"By?"

"Sparring with you whenever you want," he promises, quite sincere.

"And?"

"Always playing by _your _rules."

"Correct. I think my job here is done," she intones, a thoughtful hand on her chin, a pleased sparkle in her eyes.

Blue meets green, and they smile.

* * *

_next: blossoming_


	4. blossoming

**_duty  
_**_-pt 4 blossoming-_

.-.-.

The face reflected in the mirror is no longer that of a boy. The lines are a bit too long, the angles a bit too sharp; there's several uneven patches of stubble he can no longer ignore. He sighs, a blossom of mist forming and evaporating on the glass surface as he lathers up his face after finishing with his head. The latter is a routine he no longer even has to think about, the symbolic shaving of the Air Nomads so deeply ingrained over the past decade of his life that it's long since become an inextricable part of who he is.

The rituals of manhood, however, are still new and unfamiliar. Such as it is, Tenzin nearly severs an artery on his neck at the resounding SLAM of someone throwing open the washroom door (how rude, how inconsiderate, what if he had been _undressed_?). His razor clatters into the stone basin below as he yelps and hastily clutches at his outer robes, glaring at his intruders in the mirror.

It's the usual culprits, of course: his older siblings.

He exhales, exasperated, pressing a finger to the shallow cut on his adam's apple. "Haven't you guys heard of knocking?" His gaze slides warily to his sister. "And aren't _you_ in the wrong wing of the temple?"

Kya waves her hand dismissively. "You've got nothing I haven't already seen, baby brother. We have more important things to discuss."

An embarrassed flush colors his ears as if on cue. Bumi leans against the wooden door frame, smirking devilishly.

Tenzin knows that expression. Nothing good ever comes from _that_ expression.

"Indeed we do," drawls the non-bender. "Now, dear sister, why don't we remind little Tenzin about the shindig that's taking place tomorrow night?"

"Why, the biannual commemoration ball? The biggest celebration in Republic City? _That_ shindig?"

"I know what it is, guys," mutters Tenzin, trying not to twitch as he maneuvers his blade over the final cluster of stray hairs on his chin.

"Oh, perfect! Then you know you're old enough this year that your attendance is expected," Kya gushes.

He hums in the affirmative, splashing several palmfuls of water onto his face. "Yeah, dad told me." Blue eyes trace the path of sudsy bubbles trickling down the drain, washed away by the gentle flow of the running faucet. He wishes it were possible to drown out Kya and Bumi's voices instead. Informed by prior experience, Tenzin knows they can't be up to anything good.

Besides, he has a sneaking suspicion regarding their intent, and he's not quite sure how he feels about_ that particular subject_ yet.

Bumi breaks into his thoughts with that loud guffaw of his and Tenzin's fingers fly instinctively to the right side of his head._ The older he gets, the crazier he becomes_, he thinks, wincing as he massages his temple. Not a moment later a heavy arm thrown across his shoulders knocks his hand away, Bumi snickering all the while, Kya laughing silently behind her fingers. A weary sigh escapes Tenzin's lips. "Look, guys, I don't know what's so funny here—"

"Did dad tell you about bringing a _date_?" his brother interrupts. Bumi's doing something weird with his eyebrows and Tenzin mentally cringes. Honestly, is that ridiculous wiggle actually meant to be suggestive?

But then why is his stomach doing flips at Bumi's final syllable? He manages to stammer aloud, "I didn't—"

"It's only proper," Kya cuts in, wagging her finger, the very image of a scolding matron but for the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "A young man of your age simply cannot attend such a prestigious event _alone_," she chides, clicking her tongue twice. "And it's your duty as a child of the Avatar to reflect well upon this family."

_They can't be serious,_ Tenzin moans internally. "But you never—"

"But _nothin_'!" Bumi bellows, thumping him enthusiastically on the back and causing him to pitch forward. He quickly regains his balance and tries to glare at his brother, but fails as Bumi barrels on, oblivious. "This isn't about Kya. This is about _you_, baby brother. And _luck-i-ly_ for you I know just the young lady up to the task. I'd have taken her myself... but she rejected me flat out, can you even believe that?" The older boy emits a forlorn sigh, draping his free arm dramatically across his forehead while their sister makes appropriately sympathetic noises in the background.

"A little heartbreaker, isn't she," Kya coos in agreement, reaching up to tousle Bumi's shaggy mop of hair. Her gaze shifts to Tenzin and she blinks twice, looking much like an innocently inquisitive flying lemur, her head tilted to the side. "This lovely young lady told our brother she was already interested in going with someone _else_." Her hand flutters to her chest, her eyelashes batting similarly. "My, how we wonder who the lucky boy could _be_!"

Tenzin groans, stifling his irritation at his siblings' theatrics. There isn't a doubt in his mind now; he's quite acquainted with this 'young lady' to whom his siblings are referring. He practically grew up with her, after all. He thinks he knows her like he knows himself, two best friends without a secret to hide, a relationship built on solid rock, mutual trust, and friendly butt-kicking.

Which is why it's different and decidedly confounding when his heart begins to pound within his chest, the butterflies in his stomach taking up a newly choreographed acrobatic routine (now with double the somersaults). Because how could it be possible that she'd _want_ to be his date at this party?

He can feel the force of their eyes boring into his skull, pinning him in place until he can give the response that will appease them.

And so what if he actually... come to think of it, kind of, maybe, just a little bit... _wants_ to go with Lin? In a sort of _date_ situation?

"I'll ask her," he mutters, and he can practically hear the sound of his siblings' triumphant grins.

"Good _luck_, baby brother!" the pair choruses, immediately shuffling out into the hall, their mission accomplished. Kya, however, quickly pokes her head back into the doorway, her long silvery dreads still swinging. "By the way, she's been waiting for you out here. Okay bye!" She's gone without another word leaving Tenzin to stare after her, slack-jawed and bug-eyed.

Lin's here.

_Spirits, I'm not ready to do this yet!_ But it doesn't matter because there she is, stepping out of the darkness, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorjamb Bumi had been occupying just a few moments earlier.

It also doesn't matter because his next thought is, _spirits, she's pretty._.. and now he's quite sure he has never thought _that_ about her before.

Slowly he takes her in, and somehow everything seems new. In all of his fifteen years he's never noticed the richness of her ink-black hair, the smoothness of her porcelain skin, the inviting sweep of her dark lashes. No, he doesn't recall ever finding any of her _appealing_, by any means. And the blossoming curves at her hip and bosom? _Those_ were certainly new.

He swallows thickly and opens his mouth to speak but she beats him to it, holding up a hand with a sigh, carefully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "How about I save us both some time and just say, yes, I'll go to this silly ball with you."

His heart soars inexplicably. "Ah, you sure?" he blurts out, fighting the urge to kick himself for not asking properly first. "I mean, uh, why, though? Kya and Bumi said you wanted—"

"Just shut up, open your eyes and _wake up_, Tenzin," she scoffs at him, jade eyes flashing like gems in the dimming candlelight. She turns and begins to walk, her feet pointed in the direction of the women's quarters; he follows her halfway down the corridor before realizing he shouldn't.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she finally says, her steady pace unfaltering as he gapes at her retreating back. "And if you stand me up I'll bury you so deep underground my mom and your dad _combined_ won't be able to earthbend you out."

His cheeks flame in the twilight shadows; even her threats sound like something more now.

If he's not mistaken, it's something a little bit like love.

.

She feels so small here in this wide open ballroom, with its cathedral ceilings and tall arched windows and glittering chandeliers made of luminescent crystal, with its beautiful patrons in all their multihued finery, laughing and mingling in the falling dusk. She is used to playing it cool and nonchalant, but here, in the midst of such refined company, she feels about as comfortable as a polar bear-dog cub in a moose-lion's den.

With the wall at her back and the refreshment table to her right the green-eyed girl stands and fidgets, everything under her scrutiny; stately, elegant dancers making their way smoothly across the dance floor, clusters of distinguished guests maneuvering just as smoothly through their conversations. From the front of the massive room comes the pleasant music of stringed instruments; it blends with ambient chatter punctuated by polite exclamations and the _clink_ of flute glasses filled with sparkling liquid. A small part of her wants to join in, to understand, to be grown up. Another part of her wants to leave, to strip off her cumbersome dress and pinching shoes and practice her earthbending under the full moon.

The largest part of her, however, just wants to figure out all these aggravating new _feelings_ and somesuch nonsense growing between her and her oldest friend, this stupid, clueless, airheaded boy.

To his credit, said boy has been faithfully glued to her side all night. On the other hand, though, he's been doing a lot of uncomfortable staring; she doesn't appreciate that very much and self-consciously pats down her raven tresses for the tenth time that evening.

Several minutes pass and she remains happily unnoticed by the general public, munching contentedly on a plate of miniature moon cakes and egg custard tarts. _Dessert food_, Tenzin had pointed out, the reprimand obvious in his voice. _Yeah, what are you, my dad? I eat what I want_, she'd tossed back abrasively, sticking her tongue out at him, shoving an entire tart into her mouth for good measure.

...Thinking back, that had been a super awkward thing to say and do. _Good job, Lin_. She abandons the plate and begins brushing crumbs off the front of her dress, her face heating. Tenzin looks sufficiently abashed and folds his hands behind his back, only to bow hurriedly as yet another dignitary shows up to introduce himself to Avatar Aang's sole airbending progeny.

She turns slightly to the side and flips open her decorative fan, raising it to her cheekbones in an attempt to keep the attention away from herself. It's worked thus far. With her face partially hidden and her body encased in pale green silk Lin looks just like any nobleman's fair daughter, a perfectly harmless, demure Earth Kingdom maiden.

But it doesn't work this time. Pale gray eyes slide suddenly into her line of vision, bright with curiosity. It's accompanied by the intruder's deep, honeyed voice, and she resists the urge to back into the wall as he speaks.

"My, my, what have we here? Tenzin, child, I never knew you had a _lady_ friend." He smirks knowingly. "Then again, you're at _that_ age, aren't you."

_Monkeyfeathers_, she thinks, scowling._ Is this creepy old guy for real?_

"Lin is just a good friend," offers Tenzin, his tone firm and diplomatic. "We practically grew up together."

Oh.

_Just a good friend, huh,_ Lin repeats silently. She mentally kicks herself in the rear. _You idiot. You and your stupid girly hormones. Were you honestly thinking things had changed?_ She considers bailing at that very moment, poor manners be damned.

Until she realizes Tenzin has inched closer to her, their shoulders bumping, his hand at the small of her back, warm and steady through the silken fabric. She automatically leans into his touch while the man strokes the end of his salt-and-pepper goatee, an amused lilt to his voice. "That so?"

"Yes, sir," Tenzin replies. She marvels at his calm, stoic demeanor. Tenzin has always been the quiet, serious type, but she's never seen exactly this side of him. It hints at political finesse. He'll need that in the near future; he's poised to become a leader, after all. It's his duty, his irrevocable destiny. That's what happens when you're one of the members of a two-citizen nation.

The steely-eyed stranger hums thoughtfully. "Interesting. _Very_ interesting. You know, I've always had a knack for predicting the future. Comes with the job, you see; figuring out trends in supply and demand are essential to successfully running a business for profit. But I wouldn't want to bore you, doll." He smiles again, leaning closer. "Please, I'd love to be the first to know—"

She clenches her hands into fists, the hairs on the back of her neck prickling.

"—_when the two of you welcome the next airbending baby into the world._"

_What?_

Tenzin freezes beside her, but it takes Lin an extra second to process the implication. And then she blushes furiously.

_WHO DOES THIS GUY THINK HE IS?_ This isn't right. It isn't fair. She hasn't even had a chance to sort out her own feelings and people are already jumping to... to conclusions like this! She's barely a teenager, for crying out loud! Her? And Tenzin? And _babies_?

Her arms begin to shake.

A crack forms along the floor under the man's feet and he looks down, alarmed.

Oh, she'll do it. No doubt she'll do it...

But then Tenzin is mumbling something that sounds like "excuse us," hastily pulling her by the arm into a rush of moving bodies. Her final glance of the man reveals honest confusion etched across his features, but she's too incensed to care. And Tenzin's arm is around her waist again, her hand gripped in his other as he leads them deftly across the dance floor, stepping and twirling in time with everyone else.

"What in Koh's name was _that_?" she seethes under her breath, shooting daggers at anyone who would dare meet her eyes from her vantage point at Tenzin's shoulder.

(And when did he start getting so tall?)

"I didn't like the way he was looking at you," mutters Tenzin, "and I know you didn't like what he was implying there, at the end. Sorry. I know dancing's not your thing, but he won't be able to bother us in this crowd."

He presses her infinitesimally closer to himself.

She thinks she probably just imagined it.

"It's not your duty to look after me," she hisses into his ear, but there's a lot less venom this time. "I could have handled him just fine on my own, you know."

"Yeah, of course. I know." He surprises her by lowering her into a graceful dip, which is only graceful on his part, though; Lin nearly loses her balance and scrambles frantically back upright, clutching onto his arms. And she may or may not have bent the floor in her panic. It's left looking a little uneven. It's all his fault, anyway; she _doesn't_ dance.

"Stop trying to distract me while I scold you!" she fumes, flustered. She punches him in the stomach. She doesn't know what she's doing anymore.

Tenzin doubles over slightly and coughs once. "Ah, yeah, sorry," he apologizes, not looking very sorry at all. Instead he's staring at her, deep into her eyes, like he's looking at the most wonderful thing he's ever seen. They are mere inches apart. Her breath catches for a moment; she waits for him to say something, anything, before he can bore into her soul with that stare of his. But he ends up simply sighing and rests his chin on top of her head, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

It's a bit uncomfortable. It's a lot nice.

_Is this even okay?_ she thinks, her mind spinning as she instinctively rests her hands gently at his hips._ We're supposed to be friends..._

The music continues, people in motion all around them.

"Lin," he mumbles into her hair, "I guess this would be the right time to say it."

_Oh, spirits, she's not ready._ "Then spit it out," she advises him, hardly daring to breathe, her heart thundering in her chest.

"I think I like you." A heartbeat, then two, and Tenzin corrects himself. "I _know_ I like you."

Her eyelids flutter closed. "Just so we're on the same page, Mr. Awkward Turtle Duck, you're talking about _like_-liking me, right? Like, more-than-friends like?"

"More-than-friends like," he confirms. She can feel the rumble in his chest. It's a pleasant sound that grounds her.

"Okay," she says. "I guess I like you too." She can feel a gust of air across the top of her head, tousling her hair. _An exhale of relief,_ she realizes. A charcoal lock of hair comes loose from its pin, falling over one eye. She blows it impatiently out of her way.

"Don't mess it up," she warns, not talking about her hairstyle.

"We won't," he promises, pulling back to press a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Things can only change for the better."

_Only for the better, then._

"Thanks, Tenzin," she whispers. "Maybe I'll keep you."

This had been a pretty good date, after all.

* * *

A/N: Wow, that wasn't cheezy or unbelievable at all. Review, please?

_next: together_


End file.
